This invention relates generally to apparatus for supporting wire and cable. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus for supporting drop wires to provide strain relief for the connection between the drop wire and the supply system.
A drop wire is used to connect a pole/mast mounted service wire providing telephone signals, cable television services, etc. to a subscriber. Drop wire clamps are typically used to support the weight of the drop wire and relieve stress on the connection between the drop wire and the pole or mast. Generally the drop wire clamp includes a clamp portion for gripping the drop wire and a hook or loop portion which is mounted to the mast/pole via a mechanical mounting device.
The mounting devices used to mount the drop wire clamp to the pole/mast have been subject to several problems. The mounting devices are subject to dynamic loads and wear resulting from wind induced movement of the drop wire in addition to the static load of the weight of the drop wire Multipurpose mounting devices have often been subject to failure due to the wear and the combination of the static and dynamic loads. Purpose built mounting devices have been more resistant to the above-recited failure mechanisms but are generally configured to mount a fixed number of drop wire clamps. Consequently, additional mounting devices are required if the number of drop wires exceeds the mounting capacity of the device or the device has unused capacity if the number of drop wires is less than the capacity of the device.